Italy vs South Africa: Antibiotic consumption rate

Italy
25.36 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day
in 2023
South Africa
29.52 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day
in 2023
Italy rank
12th
South Africa rank
9th

Antibiotic consumption rate over time

  • Italy
  • South Africa
0102030201620192023

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 29.52 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day against 25.36 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day in Italy, a difference of 4.16 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Italy's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 5 shared years of data; in 2019 it was Italy ahead.

Italy ranks 12th and South Africa ranks 9th of 46 countries.

Across the 2 decades both report, Italy averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Italy South Africa Difference Ahead
2010s 24.1 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day 20.09 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day 4.01 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day Italy
2020s 22.47 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day 26.85 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day 4.38 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher antibiotic consumption rate, Italy or South Africa?
South Africa, at 29.52 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day against 25.36 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day in Italy as of 2023.
What is the difference in antibiotic consumption rate between Italy and South Africa?
4.16 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Italy and South Africa?
5 years are reported by both, from 2019 to 2023.
How do Italy and South Africa rank globally for antibiotic consumption rate?
Italy ranks 12th and South Africa ranks 9th of 46 countries.
Where does this data come from?
WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Antibiotic consumption rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Italy vs South Africa: Antibiotic consumption rate. Statizoid, drawing on WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/antibiotic-consumption-rate/italy/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Antibiotic consumption rate
Unit
defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day
Source
WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
46 places, 344 data points, 2016–2023
Last refreshed

Total defined daily doses of antibiotics and antituberculosis drugs used in a given year per 1,000 inhabitants per day.